Although electronic payments are increasingly common, there are still many occasions when cash is needed while living in Singapore. Whether you have just arrived in Singapore or have lived here for a long time, few people notice who the person on the Singapore dollar notes actually is. Today, join us as we delve into this piece of everyday knowledge and explore the figure on the Singapore currency and his story!
Let’s reveal the answer: the person on the Singapore dollar is the renowned statesman Encik Yusof Bin Ishak, who served as the President of Singapore from 1965 to 1970. He was born on August 12, 1910, in Perak, Malaysia, and passed away from a sudden heart attack in 1970 while still serving as President of Singapore. The day after his passing, on November 24, 1970, his casket lay in state at the Istana for government officials and foreign diplomats to pay their respects, and was moved to City Hall in the afternoon for the public to do the same. It is to commemorate all his contributions to Singapore that his portrait is printed on the currency.
His life was not particularly long, but it was certainly eventful. He loved sports and was an all-round athlete, representing Raffles Institution in many sporting activities, including cricket, hockey, swimming, water polo, boxing, weightlifting, and basketball. In addition, he was the co-editor of the magazine “The Rafflesian,” truly a man of both literary and athletic talents.
Despite this, he was actually more interested in law, but due to his family’s financial situation, he could not pursue further studies in the United Kingdom. At the invitation of his alumnus, Alsagoff, he went to work for the influential newspaper of the time, Warta Malaya. However, his vision was for a Malay newspaper that was owned by, managed by, and dedicated to the Malay community. Therefore, in 1938, along with 20 other Malay leaders in Singapore, he co-founded the Utusan Melayu newspaper. But this success was short-lived. Not long after the newspaper was established, war came to Singapore, forcing the paper to close. He then moved to Taiping and lived a quiet life for some time.
This quiet life lasted until 1945, when the Malay Peninsula emerged from the shadow of war. Yusof returned to Singapore and re-established Utusan Melayu. After the war, the Malay community in Singapore developed an independent political consciousness. Against this backdrop, Yusof’s Utusan Melayu supported the founding of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) in 1946. However, this success did not last. UMNO’s vision began to diverge from Yusof’s ideals, and the organization started acquiring shares in Utusan Melayu, significantly diminishing Yusof’s control over the newspaper. Eventually, in 1959, Yusof sold all his shares and resigned. He then accepted an invitation from Mr. Lee Kuan Yew to become the Chairman of the Public Service Commission of Singapore. On August 9, 1965, when Singapore gained its independence, he became its first President.
The challenges he faced after becoming president were immense. In the early days of independence, the people lacked confidence in Singapore’s development. He actively promoted various racial harmony initiatives and was dedicated to developing the nation, helping the people regain their confidence in Singapore.
In addition to having his portrait on the currency, to honor his significant contributions to Singapore, Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew announced in 1966 the founding of Yusof Ishak Secondary School in his name. Nearly 50 years later, in 2015, the Ministry of Education established the nation’s first Centre for Teaching and Learning Excellence at this neighborhood school located in Bukit Batok. And the Singapore dollar notes we use every day have been in circulation for over 20 years since their first issue in 1999. Seeing the bigger picture through small details—understanding the story behind the currency—is a unique experience.
The above is a bit of everyday knowledge related to the Singapore dollar. If you have any other questions about living in Singapore, please feel free to contact us. We will provide more helpful information to make your life in Singapore more convenient.
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